Blood Ties
by TheSeriousBard
Summary: It has been one month since the death of Suoh Mikoto. Attempting to find comfort in his once best friend, Misaki was shocked as the Blue clansman rejected him so coldly. One day, a mysterious man approached him. Losing all connection to his current life, will Misaki accept the proposal made by the man? SaruMi; Munakata x Misaki (Yes, you read correctly); AU; OC


**Blood Ties**

It has been one month since the death of Suoh Mikoto. Attempting to find comfort in his once best friend, Misaki was shocked as the Blue clansman rejected him so coldly. One day, a mysterious man approached him. Losing all connection to his current life, will Misaki accept the proposal made by the man?

SaruMi; Munakata x Misaki (Yes, you read correctly); AU; OC

**Rating:** T

**Warnings:** Language, violence.

This really is a lot more farfetched than my other stories, but I hope you will find it interesting.

**Note:** Emo characters all around. May or may not be OOC since we really don't know how the characters will react post-season 1 of K Project.

**Primarily Drama/Angst/Romance.**

* * *

It was about one month after the incident at Ashinaka Gakuen. After taking revenge on Totsuka Tatara's death, Suoh Mikoto died at the hands of the Blue King. Totsuka, who was like a parent to him, and Mikoto, who was his hero in life, both disappeared from this world, and it tore at Misaki's heart.

Feeling his bonds slowly breaking, Yata tried desperately to keep the Red clansmen together.

"Stop being selfish. HOMRA is already gone. The Red clan no longer exists." The words of Kusanagi Izumo lingered and stirred in his mind every day.

The amber-eyed boy's life quickly began to spiral downward as he saw his old comrades less and less. For some reason, his childhood acquaintance Kanamoto Rikio and the strain girl Anna were on the run, and the two were nowhere to be found.

He became less motivated to do anything—to eat, to work…to live life. Yata knew that if he kept skipping work, he wouldn't be able to pay for next month's rent, but the ex-HOMRA member didn't care. Apathy had already sunk in, and his usual, boisterous personality had fizzled.

On one particularly cloudy day, Yata was riding his skateboard while listening to music. Although Kusanagi had already told him to give up, the little crow couldn't help but to go by the bar every day, hoping everyone had returned.

Before he kicked his foot against the pavement again, the chestnut-haired boy saw several men in suits walking towards him. "Tch, more gangsters?" he mumbled.

Once the word got out that the Red King was dead, many organizations or gangs that were once beaten by the Red clansmen were now angry and wanted vengeance against them. Misaki would spend days trying to avoid being captured or beaten up.

In preparation, the crow slowed down, baseball bat in hand. He was ready for a fight if they wanted to start one. "What the hell do you people want?"

"Are you Yata Misaki?" a voice asked from behind the wall of the suited men.

"Yeah, what of it? Are you another angry yakuza group seeking revenge or something?" snapped the amber-eyed boy.

Taking an offensive stance, Yata prepared himself to lunge at the group in front of him. To his surprise, the voice said, "Are you willing to give a few minutes of your time to listen to something important I would like to tell you?"

Misaki hesitated. "What about?"

The man separated himself from the group. He was an elderly man, dressed in fine Japanese attire. He held a cane with some sort of bird perched at the top of it. The man proceeded to take off his hat, and with a smile he said, "My name is Fujiwara Suguru. I am your grandfather, Yata Misaki."

* * *

The two had moved off of the street, and they were sitting within Fujiwara's black limo. The bodyguards were standing around the vehicle, unable to hear the rest of the conversation.

Yata felt extremely uncomfortable as he sat on the plush leather seating of the limo. He had never been in one before. Especially not with someone who claimed to be a relative of his. Misaki's parents had died in a car accident when he was about ten. The crow never had met any of his relatives, as the Yata couple seemed to be on poor terms with the family.

"Please, relax Misaki-kun. Would you like a drink or something?" the man said, still smiling.

"_Tch_, get to the point. Why did you show up now after all these years? What do you want from me?" Yata replied.

The man opened his eyes and began to gaze into Misaki's. His face was serious, but had a hint of sadness as well. "So to begin, I am actually your mother's father. I am currently the president and owner of Fujiwara Enterprises."

Yata took in a deep breath. He never really paid attention to business or politics, but he actually had heard of this company before. They were one of the largest corporations in Shizume City.

The elderly man continued on, "I had a fight with your mother when she was about sixteen. She was quick-tempered and headstrong. She told me that she didn't want to be tied down by the responsibilities of being in an elite family. I insisted to her that an arrange marriage was important to keep Fujiwara Enterprises strong and powerful, but she hated the idea of marrying someone she didn't choose personally. One day, she simply left home and disappeared."

Thinking about his mother made his chest tighten. The two of them had very similar personalities. Easy to anger, overly emotional about everything, but devoted and caring.

"Of course I did a search for her to find her, but it wasn't until two years later that I found out she married and now had a surname 'Yata' instead. I tried pleading with your mom, begging her to come back, but she adamantly refused."

The amber-eyed boy could see a few tears slowly running down his cheek.

"She was currently pregnant and carrying you within her stomach, but she told me that I was to never appear in front of her or her unborn child. About ten years after that incident, I had found out that she and your father passed away in a car accident."

Misaki started to feel his cheeks burning. "If you knew about her death, why didn't you come to the funeral to see her?" he shouted angrily.

"I was too much of a coward to go and approach you. It seems that your mother told you nothing about me, and it would hurt to have you hate me too after knowing what happened between your mother and I."

Misaki felt confused and speechless. There were so many new things being told to him about his life that he never had known before.

Suddenly, he felt a soft, wrinkly hand hold onto his. "I was sitting in my limo one day when I caught your chestnut-colored hair speeding in front of me. When I looked at your face, it surprised me. Your face looked identical to your mother's. From that point on, I did research and found out your name and where you lived. I could no longer hide anymore. I wanted to find you, see you, and talk to you."

Yata stared into Suguru's deep brown eyes in shock.

"Misaki-kun. I would like for you to come live with me and be a part of the Fujiwara family."

* * *

As he laid, stretched out on his bed, the little crow was filled to the brim with confusion and emotions. He could not believe the words he had heard from the elderly man he was speaking to less than an hour ago.

The only thing he could think of doing was to ask for the man to give him some time to think about it. What would happen if he did agree to live with him? After nineteen years of living, would he even be able to fit into such an elite family? Doesn't he already have a family?

Yata sat up on his bed and remembered Kusanagi's words. _"Stop being selfish. HOMRA is already gone. The Red clan no longer exists."_

Misaki squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus. Although he might not have HOMRA, Totsuka, or Mikoto anymore, he still felt scared to part from any of the people he was acquainted with.

Suddenly, an image of Fushimi Saruhiko popped into his head. Why was he thinking about the shitty monkey right now? That was the guy who betrayed him first before anyone else.

Yet to Misaki, it was strange enough that the boy always gave him a strange sense of comfort when he really needed it. He had the urge to go see the Blue clansman. Maybe he could help Yata sort all the conflicting emotions within him.

As he began to scroll through his phonebook, he pressed the 'TALK' button on the screen and heard the voice of his best friend through the receiver.

"Misaki?"

* * *

Saruhiko could not believe that Yata would ever call him about anything. Even after the death of Suoh Mikoto, the two stayed away from each other. It was peculiar that the crow would wait so long to contact him.

As the chestnut-haired boy stood in front of him, the Blue clansman could feel his heart pounding in his chest. Deep down inside, Fushimi felt a voice screaming, "YES! MY MISAKI IS RETURNING TO ME!"

However, as a person who couldn't express his real feelings easily, instead of replying back with excitement, the Blue said emotionlessly, "What do you want?"

He saw Misaki begin to turn a shade of bright pink—which of course made the word '_CUTE_' circle through his mind over and over again like a record stuck on repeat.

"Ummm…Saru…I really need your help with something…" Misaki said quietly.

"Heeehhhh. What could HOMRA's vanguard need to say to me? Oh wait! EX-HOMRA vanguard." The Blue was cursing at himself within his mind for sounding like such a jerk.

He saw Yata clench his fist tightly, but the boy still managed to get the words out without shouting in anger, "Saruhiko…do you still consider us as friends?"

"Of course I do! No, actually we're even closer than friends," he thought.

"Haha, that's funny Misaki. I thought I was a traitor."

Misaki kicked a pebble by his foot, staring down at the pavement. "…Well…I was wondering if you'd be okay with me by your side again…"

As much as the blue-haired boy wanted to scream "YES!" at Yata while holding him in his arms, he couldn't help to spit out words exactly opposite of how he felt due to habit.

Unable to express his true emotions, Saruhiko instantly went on the defensive, and he replied coolly. "So you've come crawling back to me now that you lost your precious Mikoto-san and your worthless HOMRA? Don't fucking kid around with me. Seeing your face disgusts me, Misaki."

"What the hell?" Fushimi thought to himself. He couldn't believe the word vomit that was being ejected from his mouth. But it was too late for him to turn back now.

Yata could feel his chest tighten. He knew that two were fighting for a long time and that their relationship wasn't that great, but he was sincerely hoping that his best friend would be open to accepting him when needed him the most. All Yata needed was one word—anything that showed Fushimi still cared for him.

Yata clenched his fist and glared angrily at the blue-haired boy in front of him. "…I got it. I hope you live a happy life because I'll never appear in front of you again."

As he turned away from the Blue, he thought to himself, "I really have no one left here."

Saruhiko stood there in silence, cursing at himself again for not being able to pick up his feet and chase after the man he loved. Why was it so easy to chase him when they were fighting? Right now, the blue-eyed man felt as if his shoes were cemented into the ground. There was a lump caught in his throat as he saw a tear slip down Misaki's face as he disappeared from view.

* * *

Yata felt like a complete fool for even trying to reach out to the Blue clansman. What did he really expect from it all? His king is gone. His family is gone. HOMRA is gone. His best friend is gone. He was the only one left behind. There was nothing but an empty void within his heart.

Remembering the mysterious man that had appeared in front of him, Misaki sighed. "That man is probably the only family I have left in this world…I don't even care anymore."

With that, the amber-eyed boy dialed the number he had received from the man who claimed to be his grandfather, and said, "Hi, tell me where I can see you."

* * *

The phone began to ring in Fujiwara Suguru's main office at Fujiwara Enterprises. Sitting in an extravagantly decorated room full of marble statues and intricate paintings, the man picked up the phone as he gazed out at the city below him.

"Hi, tell me where I can see you."

"Misaki-kun! Are you really going to accept my offer!? There are no words I can express that could explain the joy I am feeling in my heart right now! Tell me where you are, and I will have one of my chauffeurs come pick you up."

After a few more minutes of conversation, Suguru hung up the phone. He began to chuckle softly to himself. His deep brown eyes were no longer showing signs of gentleness, but of greed and maliciousness.

The elderly man reached over to his phone and hit the button to call his secretary. "Kaede? It's me. I want you to send someone to pick up Yata Misaki and bring him to me."

After he ended the call, he folded his fingers together and said, "I hope you are prepared to be used to the fullest extent, Yata Misaki. Fujiwara Enterprises will soon be able to thrive in luxury and power again."

* * *

The chestnut-haired boy couldn't help but to fidget around nervously as he sat on the leather sofa. In a moment of weakness, Yata was quick to dial the number of the man who claimed to be his grandfather. But he began to question if he had made the right decision. Before he could draw a conclusion, Misaki's thoughts were interrupted by one of the most awkward hugs he had ever received in his life.

"Misaki-kun! It gives me great pleasure to know that you want to come join the Fujiwara family. Although I am your mother's father, I would hope you would look to me as a fatherly figure."

"Uhhh…okay…"

"I would like for you to move to the Fujiwara main estate as soon as possible. Don't worry about your things, as my men will move them for you."

Misaki began to twirl his fingers around each other. The thought of moving in with a man who was still considered a stranger made an uneasy feeling swirl within his gut. "W-w-where do you live exactly?"

The grey-haired man began to laugh softly as he replied, "Why on the top floors of this building of course! Fujiwara's main estate takes up the top ten floors, including the penthouse, above where we are sitting right now. After we're done talking here, one of my assistants will take you to your new home. I will join you after I finish filling out some paperwork."

Yata then saw a stack of forms placed on the coffee table in front of him. "Ummm, what is this?"

As the crow's grandfather began to kneel besides Misaki, he took one of his hands. "Adoption forms. Since I want to prove that I am serious about this matter, I would like you to officially become a member of the Fujiwara household."

The amber-eyed boy could feel himself begin to sweat as he heard those words. Him? To give up his own surname? To Misaki, Yata had always been his real identifier, as he strongly disliked his first name. More importantly, the name that he would proudly go by during his time in HOMRA was Yatagarasu—the three-legged crow deity within Japanese mythology. Could Yata really give up something he held onto so dear all his life?

Once again the chestnut-haired boy remembered the words spoken by Izumo. "_Stop being selfish. HOMRA is already gone. The Red clan no longer exists_."

It didn't matter if Yata kept his surname or not. In the end, HOMRA ceased to exist, thus it was pointless to hold onto it. As the crow picked up the pen, his hand was beginning to shake—as if he were about to sign his life away. "Ummm…what do you need me to do?"

For a second, the crow could have sworn that he saw a flash of malevolence in the eyes of his grandfather. "All I need you to do is sign here."

As Misaki put his pen to the paper, he closed his eyes and quickly signed his name. Suguru stood back up beside the amber-eyed boy and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Welcome to the family, Fujiwara Misaki."

* * *

"Where do we stand right now, Tanaka?" the elderly man questioned while lighting his pipe.

"Compared to last year, we are at an 8.5% decrease in net income. If we continue to lose business at this rate, Fujiwara Enterprises will become bankrupt within the next two years. "

"Can we do budget cuts? Maybe get rid of a few hundred employees?"

"We had already made drastic budget cuts and reduced our employees by 25%. Unfortunately, the overall costs are becoming tremendous as the number of business partners and funders are decreasing as well."

The aid placed a summary report in front Suguru and continued on. "As of right now, we are able to mask all of the information regarding the financial crisis that the Fujiwara Enterprise is undergoing, but once the quarterly report is due, we will no longer be able to hide it."

Fujiwara inhaled deeply and held in the smoke for a few seconds before he exhaled. "Looks like we'll need to put our plan in motion faster than we had expected. We will need to get everything done before the boy turns twenty."

As he stood up from his chair, the man turned to Tanaka and stated, "I want you to create a list of all the big political, influential, or elite families you can find within Shizume City."

Before leaving the smoke-filled room, Suguru gave an unnerving grin. "Invite as many as you can to my residence this weekend. We're going to debut our little blossom there. Make sure to have some of my assistants clean up the boy to look sharp. By the end of the month—if everything goes according to plan, we will be sorting through a huge stack of marriage proposals. We will pick someone who has enough wealth, influence, and power to make Fujiwara Enterprises into the business giant that it was again."

* * *

_Uncomfortable_. There was no better way to express the amber-eyed boy's feelings at that time. The boy was not used to having to wear formal attire. To think of it, the crow never even wore a tuxedo before. Beyond the butler outfit that Kusanagi once made him wear when he tried to make HOMRA into a butler café, Misaki would never put on anything fancier than a clean sweater and a pair of slacks.

He wasn't used to the unique smell of silken fabric. The bow tie he was wearing made him feel like he was suffocating. Being dressed in an all-white suit made him feel more like some pimp mobster than a young master of an elite family.

Earlier that day, a flood of assistants filled his bedroom quarters as they whipped him out of bed. Misaki felt like a deer caught in headlights as he was surrounded by people cutting and styling his hair, scrubbing down his skin, and analyzing every inch of his body.

As Misaki stood in front mirror, he couldn't believe that the person who was reflected on the glass was really him. A faint hue of pink began to shade his pale cheeks as he gazed at his own reflection. "So this is really going to be from now on, huh?" the little crow thought to himself.

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard a knock on the door. "Misaki-sama? Your grandfather is wondering if you are ready to meet him down at the ballroom," said one of the Fujiwara maids.

He began to turn red hot as he stuttered, "Y-y-yeah. I'll be r-r-r-ready in a s-s-sec."

The household had at least a dozen maids or butlers, and the fact that there were women trying to cater to his every whim made the girl-fearing crow cower from embarrassment. As the young maid bowed and left him, Misaki sighed.

The party held tonight was in his honor. The reception would begin after Misaki's grandfather introduced him to the family friends and relatives.

"I wonder if I can really even do this," mumbled the chestnut-haired boy. This kind of lifestyle did not suit him at all, but he knew he had no other place left to go.

"_Seeing your face disgusts me, Misaki."_

The crow clenched his fist tightly and turned toward the door. He was as ready as he'll ever be.

* * *

As Saruhiko walked out of the Scepter 4 headquarters, he had an unsettling feeling pulsing through his body. After the Blue's encounter with Misaki, he had trouble sleeping at night or focusing on his Scepter 4 duties. It got to the point that Lieutenant Awashima yelled at the blue-haired boy and told him to take the rest of the day off.

He had good reason for his distress though. The same scene replayed over and over in his mind, like some drama that was stuck on loop.

"…_I got it. I hope you live a happy life because I'll never appear in front of you again."_

Fushimi began to pick up the pace as he dashed towards the crow's apartment. He realized how foolish he was to let his twisted personality interfere with getting the one thing he wanted most in his life—Misaki's love and attention.

As the Scepter 4 officer arrived at the ex-HOMRA member's apartment, he found and grabbed the spare key that Misaki had always hid in case he locked himself out.

Saruhiko's hands became all sweaty as he turned the door lock. As the boy peered inside the apartment, he felt his chest become so tight, that he fell down onto his knees. As the tears began to form, the boy slammed his fist after seeing what was in front of him. The room was completely empty—not a single piece of furniture of the crow's was left.

"Misaki…where did you go?" he said between sobs.

* * *

Adorned in the Scepter 4 formal attire, Munakata stood within the Fujiwara estate's ballroom. His violet-colored eyes scanned the premises as he saw many elite members of Shizume City. There were politicians, celebrities, and owners of large corporations. There were people from the wealthiest families and those who were from well-known households. As a member of an elite family himself, Munakata saw the invitation arrive on his desk earlier in the week.

Normally, he would have ignored such an invitation, but he was curious about the person who had sent the letter.

"Fujiwara Suguru?" Reisi thought to himself.

The navy blue-haired man knew very little about the owner of Fujiwara Enterprises. Always shrouded in mystery, Suguru appeared superficially as a gentle, but intelligent man. The Scepter 4 captain couldn't help but think that the elderly man was hiding something behind that smiling façade.

He personally had only spoke to Fujiwara once in his life, but he could tell the man was very careful with his words. Everything that he said was well thought out—as if he were trying to get Munakata to slip and tell him more detailed information without realizing it.

He also knew that the elderly man loved money more than anything else in the world. Money is what ran in his veins. For him to have an extravagant party to give a surprise announcement, it made Reisi wonder what it would be in regards to. Whatever it will be, the Blue King would be ready to investigate further if need be.

The lights in the room suddenly began to dim, and a spotlight was focused on the elderly man who was wearing an intricate brown kimono. Fujiwara had on his token smile as he opened his mouth and began to speak. "Ladies and gentlemen. I humbly welcome you to the Fujiwara estate tonight. I greatly appreciate the many years of your support for Fujiwara Enterprises. As you all know, I had invited you all to give an important announcement."

The grey-haired man walked to the bottom of the stairs and continued to talk. "Some of you may not have known this, but I once had a beautiful daughter. As a girl with a free spirit, she wanted to spread her wings and find a new life beyond the Fujiwara name."

The man began to show a sad expression. "However, it was about ten years ago when fate had stolen my beloved child from this world."

Suguru took a handkerchief from his pocket and began to dab his eyes. Reisi looked around the room and saw how moved the crowd was by the man's tears.

The brown-eyed man paused, as if giving a moment of silence to honor his daughter. He then looked up and had a look of determination on his face. "It came to my attention recently that my daughter did not leave the world without leaving something precious behind. During these past few months I desperately searched for this treasure. And then, I had finally found it."

Suguru lifted his hands up into the air and pointed them towards the stairs. "With that being said, I proudly present to you the newest member of the Fujiwara family—my grandson, Fujiwara Misaki!"

The spotlight aimed toward the top of the stairs. The amber-eyed man became red from head to toe. He was beyond embarrassed at this point, as he saw at least a hundred faces staring in his direction.

Munakata's eyes widened as he stared at the chestnut-haired boy across the room. "Isn't that Suoh's…," he said to himself.

Yes, there stood one of Suoh Mikoto's subordinates—HOMRA's vanguard Yata Misaki. A million questions began to run through the Blue King's mind. Was the boy really Fujiwara's grandson? Did Fujiwara really not know of his grandson's existence until recently? If that weren't the case, why did he choose to debut him now?

Additionally, from the small encounters he had with Yatagarasu, he knew that the boy wasn't the type to willingly allow others to control over him—with the exception of the deceased Red King. Why was Yata so compliant as to let the man take him into his family? There were many unsolved issues at hand, but to Reisi, this was just like opening a brand new jigsaw puzzle. He was going to analyze every piece until he created the big picture.

Whatever that sneaky old man was hiding, Munakata was going to find out.

* * *

After a brief introduction, the party resumed. Suguru places his hand on the crow's shoulder and said, "Why don't you go around and greet all the guests, Misaki-kun? I am sure many of them would like to talk to you and get to know you better."

The amber-eyed boy felt as if he were standing in a jungle savannah wearing twenty layers of clothing. There were so many people around him. What was even worse, there were so many women around him. Before he knew it, a large group of women surrounded the little crow.

"You are Fujiwara Misaki, right? It is a pleasure to meet you! My name is Inoue Ayase," the young brunette said as she extended her hand.

"Uhhh…ummm…h-h-h-hi…nice to m-m-meet you…" He quickly shook her hand before withdrawing it quickly beside him.

"Hiii, I'm Nonohara Yumi! Pleasure to meet you, Misaki-kun!" Nonohara was an up and coming idol that quickly gained fame due to her flawlessly beautiful face.

"Ah! Umm…hi…" The chestnut-haired boy could have sworn he felt palpitations as his heart was pumping extremely hard and fast.

"Murakami Kaname. You are nineteen years old, right? We're pretty close in age. We should hang out sometime," the man in the dark green suit said to him.

"Yeah…umm sure…" All the crow really wanted to do at this point was bolt back up the stairs and hide under the covers of his bed.

As all the young daughters and sons of the elite households began to introduce themselves one by one, they couldn't help but to see the Misaki as…endearing. Since most—if not all, of the party guests had lived at the highest level of society their entire lives, it was rare to find one who wasn't overly snobby, confident, or condescending towards others. The amber-eyed boy was a refreshing sight to see, as he was very shy and humble.

"So there really are guys out there that still blush and get shy when girls talk to them?"

"He's short, but really cute like a little animal! I just want to hug him!"

Yata could hear people whispering and chitchatting all around him.

Now to those people who really knew Yata, he was known as being rowdy, uncontrollable, and hotheaded. But in such unfamiliar territory, his personality became quite the opposite of how he normally acted.

Regardless, he quickly became popular amongst the guests at the party. As Fujiwara stood at the top of the stairs, he watched the little crow with an intense stare. "Just as I expected. He is a rare breed to these people. Continue to charm the hearts of them all, Misaki."

As he took a sip from his champagne glass, Suguru, trying to suppress an evil grin, thought, "It's almost time to start the hunt."

* * *

After about two hours, Misaki finally had a moment to take relax. As he collapsed on one of the chairs in the corner, he scanned the room quickly. His grandfather seemed busy greeting all of the guests and talking to them. The crow was curious as to what they were talking about, as most of the conversations ended with laughter and a hand shake.

As he leaned back against the soft cushion, the chestnut-haired boy closed his eyes.

"Good evening, Yata Misaki-kun. What a pleasant surprise to run into you today."

Misaki's eyes opened quickly, and they darted in the direction of the voice he knew so well. To his surprise, there stood Scepter 4's captain, Munakata Reisi. "Blue King! What the hell are you doing here?" Misaki gasped.

"I received a rather peculiar invitation from the owner of Fujiwara Enterprises, asking me to attend a debut party," the Blue said with a smile. "I didn't know you were the grandson of Fujiwara Suguru, Yata-kun—or should I call you now, Fujiwara-kun instead?"

"_Tch_, why the hell was the Blue King invited to this event? He was the guy…who killed…Mikoto-san…" Misaki's thoughts of the Red clan again penetrated his mind. "This man is also Saru's superior officer…"

The chestnut-haired boy gritted his teeth. The things he did not want to remember began to flood back through him. He began feeling diaphoretic and dizzy.

"What made you leave the Red clan to come live with your grandfather? Did you not just meet him recently?"

A lifeless response escaped from the crow's lips, "…HOMRA is gone. There is no Red clan left. It died when you plunged your sword into Mikoto-san's heart. I don't have any home left to go to besides here. The old man really wanted me to live with him and be adopted by him, so who really cares."

Misaki felt like he was suffocating in misery. Pale-faced and trembling, the crow stood up and began to walk away from Reisi. "Excuse me, but I am going to step out for a while."

Misaki quickly began to walk up the stairs, disappearing down the long hall toward his bedroom. Munakata began to think about what the ex-vanguard of HOMRA had said to him. "Why was Fujiwara so interested in taking in this boy—even to go so far as officially adopting the child to the main family?"

These thoughts had awoken suspicion within the Blue captain's heart. He would have to go speak with some of the guests and investigate it further.

* * *

"Hmmm, not only did he receive a lot of marriage proposals from women, but also there are a good number of men."

"Should we filter them out of the pile?" asked Tanaka.

"No, we'll keep them in there. As long as they are from an elite family, it doesn't matter if they are a hundred years old or from a different planet," Suguru said with a laugh.

As the two men began to pick up some of the stacks of paper, they skimmed through each of the potential candidates.

"Fujisaki Chieko, age 16. Daughter of the CEO of L&P Electronics."

"Rejected. That company is too small and worthless to consider."

Tanaka continued to flip through the pages. "Sato Emi, age 20. Daughter of the main producer of South Star Music."

"Maybe. They own a lot of the young teenage idol groups that are becoming popular and have a large hold on the music industry. Though, it may not be as influential in our sector of business."

"Watanabe Shoutaro, age 43. Owner of Watanabe Corporation."

"…Isn't there a rumor about him hiring young male prostitutes frequently?...Put him in the maybe pile."

After sorting through at least thirty more proposals, the owner of Fujiwara Enterprises saw a particular candidate that stood out from the rest.

"Munakata Reisi, age 24. Sole heir to the Munakata fortune. Captain of Scepter 4." The elderly man narrowed his eyes and pondered. "Why would he be submitting a proposal to us? He doesn't seem to be the type of person to do this sort of thing."

Fujiwara Suguru only had the opportunity to meet the captain of Scepter 4 once, but violet-eyed man was nothing more than an enigma. Suguru was a master at analyzing others in ways to manipulate them, but he was unable to impregnate the barrier that the Blue King had surrounding him.

"Scepter 4 has close ties with the prime minister. Having ties with a wealthy, politically influential person could be a great advantage for Fujiwara Enterprises, sir."

The grey-haired man closed his eyes and took a deep breath. As he re-opened them, there was a dead serious stare at the photo ID of the navy blue-haired man.

"Have someone contact him and get his motives or reasons behind it. If there's anything suspicious, notify me immediately."

"Yes, sir. As you wish."

"If we need to smoke the burrow to get the fox out, we might as well burn the entire forest down," as a sadistic grin began to form on his lip.

* * *

As the captain of Scepter 4 sat behind his desk, he stared at the jigsaw puzzle before him. Although he had most of the puzzle completed already, he wasn't able to focus on them. Despite each piece being unique from one another, Reisi was unable to figure out the proper placement, even though everything was laid before him.

From all the information he had gathered at the party, he heard that Fujiwara was interested in finding a marriage partner, even though he had adopted the boy recently. There had been quite a few people who had expressed their interest—not limited to younger women, but to middle-aged men as well. Although many people still considered gay marriage as something taboo, there was no law prohibiting the unification of the same gender in marriage.

What was peculiar about this issue was that Suguru didn't seem to include Yata Misaki in any part of this discussion. The two could have talked about it beforehand, but it didn't seem plausible. The boy seemed to have joined the family because he had nowhere else to go.

The fact of the matter was Reisi barely knew Yata Misaki besides the reports kept on file about the Red clansman. Although they encountered each other several times, the two had never spoken a word to each other until the debut celebration.

Without looking up, Munakata called out to his lieutenant. "Awashima-kun, where is Fushimi-kun today?"

"Yes sir, he seemed really distracted and unwell today, so I sent him to take the rest of the day off."

Reisi began to think harder. If he recalled correctly, he knew that the blue-eyed man knew Yata Misaki better than anyone else, as they were close friends before Fushimi joined Scepter 4. But the two had a fall out after that.

Munakata concluded that including his third-in-command would further complicate matters in the end. Leaning back in his chair, the image of Mikoto appeared in his mind. He could still remember feeling the Red King's warm breath against his ear, as the man whispered his final requests to the Blue captain.

"_Munakata. Please do me this one favor and watch over the Red clansmen and protect them for me when I'm gone."_

A selfish request such as that was too typical from the Red King, but in the end, Reisi couldn't refuse Suoh's final wishes. He was the one who ultimately took their king, so he should be the one to protect them. Yata Misaki was no exception to this rule.

The violet-eyed man could only think of submitting his marriage proposal to Fujiwara. If the man accepted, then he could further investigate what he was seeking for by using the chestnut-haired boy.

He breathed out a long sigh. The Blue captain thought to himself, "What would you do in this situation, Suoh?"

* * *

"So you're telling me that the two know each other because of their ties with the leader of the Red clan?"

"Yes, our reports show that they had met several times in the past. Their mutual friend however had passed away about a month and a half ago. The two may have some connection to each other from the event, sir."

The elderly man took a long drag from his pipe, and he smiled as the smoke escaped between his thin lips. "So there is a good reason for his proposal then."

Out of all the potential marriage prospects, Munakata was superior in every way. He was wealthy and had power within the government and police force. His family influence was vast, and he could gain support from other families with Reisi's help. If Suguru played his cards right, he would be able to gain control over the captain of Scepter 4 as well.

"Tanaka, I want you to call Munakata and inform him that we accept his proposal."

"Yes sir, right away."

As Tanaka stepped out of the main office, the brown-eyed man chuckled to himself. Money and power were almost within his grasp.

* * *

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?" the crow cried out in horror.

Misaki jumped up so fast from his chair, his leg hit the table, and the cup of green tea spilled all over.

"Your official engagement announcement will be held tomorrow at noon. We have set up a press conference for both you and your betrothed. We will give you a list of responses to tell the press if the questions are to come up," the grey-haired man said to Misaki.

"W-w-why the hell am I getting engaged to? Why would I ever agree to being married to a complete stranger? I thought you wanted me to live with you and become a family member!" Misaki shouted.

"I do want you to become a family member. But as a member of the Fujiwara household, you have certain obligations you must fulfill. It is your duty as the heir to the Fujiwara estate. We have gone through a thorough list of candidates and found someone who is most suitable for you."

"…This…THIS IS CRAZY! THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL I'M DOING THIS! IF YOU MAKE ME DO THIS THEN I'M FUCKING LEAVING RIGHT NOW!" The amber-eyed boy could feel his boiling blood rushing throughout his body.

The air of the room somehow felt different after Misaki's last remark. The gentle look in Suguru's eyes disappeared as he grasped the crow's wrist firmly.

"What the hell are you doing, old man!?"

An unsettling, evil laugh came from the elderly man, causing the chestnut-haired boy to shiver. "You have nowhere to go right?"

Fujiwara's voice was no longer cheery and light, but lower and more forceful. "I did a full, extensive background check on you, Misaki-kun. It seems to me that you have lost everything and everyone important to you. Your parents are gone. Your clan is gone. You have nothing even remotely significant to your name."

"…You…bastard…"

"It would be best if you comply quietly with my requests Misaki-kun. I pulled you out of that horrid, meager lifestyle you were living, and I gave you a new home with open arms. The least you could do is follow my single request to you. You signed the adoption papers. You officially belong to me now. "

The crow bit his lip hard. Misaki began to eye the door as he was prepared to kick the door open and run away.

However, Suguru seemed well aware of what the chestnut-haired boy's next plan of action was, as he stated, "I wouldn't be so quick to run out of this situation, you know. You are forgetting what I had said earlier. After doing my thorough background check, I was able to discover that you still have some acquaintances within Shizume City. It would be a shame if something were to happen to them."

The elderly man tossed a stack of papers in front of the crow, and the amber-eyed boy began to feel a fearful shiver run up his spine. On the pages were pictures and detailed information about all of his friends. Suguru leaned over and whispered into Misaki's ear. "It would be a shame if a mysterious gang wanted revenge against the Red clansmen and decided to blow up HOMRA, and every apartment they lived in."

The chestnut-haired boy began to feel nauseated. His vision became blurry. Misaki leaned over onto the table to keep him from falling over, scattering some of the pages all across the ground. As if it couldn't get any worse than the current predicament, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a picture of his ex-best friend lying before him.

"Ohhhh, this one?" Suguru said with a smirk. "Fushimi Saruhiko was it? I remember reading that you two were very close at one point."

"No…please…not Saru. Anyone but him," Misaki thought as he could feel the tears forming in his eyes.

"It would be a REAL MISFORTUNE if the poor Scepter 4 third-in-command were to go on a raid, only to be captured, tortured, and savagely murdered in the end." There was not a hint of jest in the grey-haired man's voice.

Misaki sat in silence for a few minutes, attempting to regain control over his emotions. He finally sighed and said, "Alright. I'll do whatever you want of me, you creepy bastard. Who the fuck do you want me to marry?"

* * *

"Good evening and welcome to Shizume City's daily news. We are currently standing in front of Scepter 4's headquarters today to witness the announcement of the official engagement between the captain of our city's enforcement department, Munakata Reisi, to Fujiwara Suguru's grandson, Fujiwara Misaki.

As of last week, the owner of Fujiwara Enterprises had announced to the public that he had found his long-lost grandson, and that he officially adopted him to the Fujiwara main family.

Reports from his official greeting ceremony state that the grandson will be turning twenty next month. Many of the attendees informed Shizume City's news team that the boy was, 'quiet, shy, and charming.'"

The camera began to focus on a black limo that had parked close to the newscaster.

"Oh! Here he comes now!"

Kusanagi, who was watching the news broadcast during his afternoon coffee break, shot up from his seat and sprayed the drink out of his mouth. "What the? YATA-CHAN?"

On the screen, which was being broadcasted throughout Shizume City, was a small boy in Japanese attire, with two men grasping him by his wrists as he wiggled about.

"No way! No FUCKING way! I refuse to marry that stupid Monkey King! Do you know what the hell he did to Mikoto-san? HEY, LET ME GO. SOMEONE TELL THAT STUPID PERVERTED GLASSES TO COME OUT HERE RIGHT NOW. HEY YOU, STUPID, PERVERTED GLASSES, MONKEY KING! GET THE FUCK OUT HERE. FUCK, SHIT, GOD DAMN IT A—"

The screen instantly turned back to the newscasters within the reporting room. The two news anchors appeared to be very uncomfortable as they let out a nervous laugh while looking at each other. There was dead silence on the screen until they switched back over to the newscaster by the limo.

There stood Fujiwara's secretary with a strained smile. "Ahahaha, it appears that Misaki-san is very shy and flustered about having the engagement live on television. He will be fine after we give him some time to adjust."

After a brief pause, the camera switched over to a conference room where Misaki sat beside Reisi. The crow's face was still a bright pink color, but he remained quiet.

As the flashes from the cameras continuously barraged the two sitting in front, one of the reporters called out the first question. "Excuse me but, there have been people talking about the controversial issue of this engagement, as it is between two males. Do you have any comments about this?"

With a serious and cool face as always, Munakata opened his mouth and said, "We are now in an age of progression. This includes tolerance and acceptance of all beliefs and ideals. I do not feel there is anything wrong with a man uniting with another man in marriage. I hope that you all will be as understanding as well."

A woman from the middle row stood up and asked, "Hello, Yamada here from Channel Four News. I was wondering as to how it was decided for you both to be engaged."

Reisi smiled as he continued to say without any hesitation, "We knew each other from a mutual acquaintance we once had. Unfortunately, that person had passed away not too long ago. From this loss we found comfort within each other. Thus, we appear before you all today to request your blessings for our marriage to come."

The news conference lasted for about ten more minutes before running out of time. Misaki sat there, staring down the whole time. His eyes showed signs of utter defeat. The crow was tired of it all, and figured he should just let people do whatever they want. His life didn't belong to him anymore.

* * *

Thirty minutes after the conference, Yata found himself sitting on the tatami mat in the Scepter 4 captain's office. There was an awkward silence between the two.

Munakata was the first to break the silence by turning to Yata and saying, "can I make you a cup of tea?"

Misaki remained silent, but nodded his head slowly. He didn't know what to even say in a situation like this. To HOMRA, the Blue captain was the enemy king. The man who had killed Suoh Mikoto was sitting beside the little crow. Deep down Misaki knew that it wasn't Reisi's fault, as Mikoto asked him to do it in order to prevent another crater appearing, but he still couldn't help feeling a bit of resentment for the Blue captain.

As Reisi placed the tea bowl by Yata's hands, he opened his mouth and said quietly, "I do not know if you had heard, but Suoh and I were very close growing up. He was the only person I could genuinely call my friend in this world. When he asked me to kill him after the incident with the Colorless King, I debated whether or not I should even do it—even though I knew it would cause harm to thousands of other people."

Misaki looked up at the purple-eyed man in surprise. He had never known that the two had such a close relationship, as they appeared to be mortal enemies to everyone else.

Reisi continued on, "One of the last things Suoh requested of me before he died was to 'watch over the Red clansmen' for him afterwards."

Munakata had a sorrowful expression on his face. "I honestly didn't know how to react to this situation. But then I heard that you were adopted by the Fujiwara family, and that you were set to have an arranged marriage soon.

It isn't easy to be tied to someone you don't love, but I felt that the least I could do for Suoh is to protect you from harm."

The Blue captain placed a hand gently on top of Yata's. "Will you fulfill my selfish request?"

Misaki sat there, his mind full of too many conflicting thoughts and feelings. In the end, it was Mikoto's way of protecting him, even after he was gone. To the crow, Mikoto would always be his king—no one else. The boy tried as hard as he could to suppress his amber eyes from releasing tears.

A soft glow of pink saturated Misaki's cheeks as he gazed at the tea bowl and he quietly mumbled, "Could you tell me more about Mikoto-san's past?"

Reisi smiled and then began to pat Yata on the head as the two talked about the man who had united them together.

* * *

Fushimi still could not believe what he saw on the news. Misaki was here in the building. But the chestnut-haired boy wasn't there to look for him. He was there to get betrothed. To his superior officer no less.

Saruhiko found it hard to breathe as he remembered Yata's last words to him.

"…_I got it. I hope you live a happy life because I'll never appear in front of you again."_

He began to think long and hard about the situation. Why did Misaki suddenly appear on the news? Moreover, when was it discovered that he was Fujiwara Suguru's grandson?

The third-in-command felt a pain in his gut as he recalled Yata trying to plead for his help before he left him. He didn't listen to the smaller boy. It was all due to his inability to express what he really wanted out loud.

After a few minutes of sitting in silence, Saruhiko clicked his tongue and started to walk towards Munakata's office.

* * *

"You did a good job remaining quiet during the press conference today," said Suguru as the two rode in the limo back to the Fujiwara estate. "Did you tell Munakata about our little deal?"

"No. I kept my mouth shut like you asked. He doesn't know about your fucking threats," Misaki replied, trying to control his anger.

"My, my. Such hostile words coming from my little grandson. Looks like you'll have to be taught manners if you are to represent the Fujiwara family."

It took every last ounce of strength to not punch the old man straight to hell. Since Suguru had revealed his true nature to the little crow, he felt no need to sugar coat his words and say pleasantries.

"You're lucky that I even picked someone you know and not some middle-aged pervert that likes to torture young boys in his spare time." His words were cold and dark. "Just keep on doing what I tell you to, and you won't need to worry about your little friends."

Misaki gripped the fabric on his kimono so hard, it was a wonder how he didn't rip the silk and thread apart. The boy would have to figure out how to get out of this mess. He just didn't know where to begin.

* * *

"If you are looking for Yata-kun, he has already left," Munakata told the blue-eyed boy standing in front of him.

Fushimi stared at the Blue King in silence. It wasn't so much of a stare, as it was more comparable to throwing icy daggers at the man. Saruhiko stood there for at least another minute until he finally opened his mouth, "…What is this?"

"What ever do you mean, Fushimi-kun? Please elaborate," Munakata replied with his usual, cool tone.

"Don't kid around, Captain. You know exactly what I mean. Why the hell are you and Misaki engaged to be married?"

Reisi looked at his third-in-command and could instantly see the boy's emotions leaking out from behind the emotionless mask that he normally wore. It was apparent to him that Fushimi still deeply cared for Misaki. However, Munakata was a man of his word. He recalled the last thing the crow said to him before leaving his office.

"_Whatever you do, please don't tell Saruhiko about this," Misaki said as a gloomy look appeared on his face. "He had already told me that I disgust him. I don't want to do anything else to bother him or force myself into his life anymore."_

It was obvious to the Blue King that Saruhiko was not disgusted at all. It almost looked as if the blue-eyed boy was trying all that he could to not cry. Reisi had never seen his subordinate ever reveal so much emotion before, and as a person who liked to understand how everything worked in life, he desired to further open Saruhiko's well-guarded heart.

"Fushimi-kun. Of what importance does that boy hold to you? Are you simply asking out of curiosity, or is there any further meaning behind it?"

Saruhiko clenched his fist. As if he would tell the Scepter 4 captain about how he really felt. The blue-eyed boy would rather die than to let his superior officer hold this over his head and tease him with that ever-frustrating personality of his.

Fushimi clicked his tongue in annoyance. "That is none of your business." As he turned around and charged out of Reisi's office, he realized that this was nothing but a waste of time.

Just before he exited the room, he heard the Blue King call out to him. "Fushimi-kun. If you can't be honest about your feelings, you will lose all the things you hold dear in your life."

Those words were too true for Munakata, as he himself was unable to let the crimson-haired man he loved know about his real feelings. It was only when he plunged his sword right through Suoh's heart, did this understanding reach his; but in the end, it was too late. His sword had not only penetrated through Mikoto's heart, but also he could feel the phantom blade pierce through his as well. The Blue captain could feel that wound re-open every day he lived.

Fushimi slammed the door shut and continued to walk back to his dormitory room. His thoughts were erratic, as a million things about the crow were thrashing about like an untamable whirlwind. He couldn't forget his words, Misaki's words, or his commanding officer's words, as all of them weighed heavy on his chest.

Then, verbal shouts of denial began to surface in his mind. "They wouldn't match each other in the first place! Misaki is way too loud and unpredictable, while Captain is reserved and in control," Saruhiko thought with a laugh.

Then, a sudden realization hit him. He instantly ceased his laughter as he began to look at the plausibility of the relationship. The best way he could explain it in his mind was to compare Misaki to a dog. Originally, the owner of the dog was Suoh Mikoto. Mikoto was the type of person who would let his dumb, but loving mutt be free and do whatever it wanted to do. In return, he would get undying loyalty and affection from the pup.

In the case of Munakata Reisi, however, Yata was would more like a pet show dog. The pup would have to be thoroughly trained and disciplined in the beginning, but through some hard work and care, the dog would become obedient and follow all of his master's orders. The two would grow to share an everlasting bond hand-in-hand—or hand-in-paw in this scenario, as they would achieve victory together.

Most people couldn't stand the awkward, cool personality of Reisi, but as they say, opposites attract, and the two of them would perfectly balance out their strengths and weaknesses. Even if Misaki went into _tsundere_ mode—becoming hostile and angry from embarrassment, the Blue captain's calm and composed nature would easily draw out the warm and gentle side of the amber-eyed boy.

The thought of Misaki becoming some lap dog for the Blue King made him want to charge back into his office and cut up the navy blue-haired man into a million pieces. He couldn't fully blame his superior officer though. Saruhiko was also at fault for ignoring Misaki's pleas and leaving him to this fate.

But that was curious on its own, as the crow didn't seem to be too pleased with engagement in the first place. He couldn't understand why the boy would have agreed to something so bizarre in the first place, or why he complied afterwards without a fight. Was he being threatened or forced into the marriage in the first place? There were too many questions unanswered.

If he could have just one conversation with Misaki alone, Saruhiko believed would solve all of the problems. First and foremost, he'll need to do some research and find out more about Fujiwara Suguru—even if it meant hacking into the company's network.

As Fushimi arrived at his dormitory room, he sat down by his laptop, and he immediately got to work.

* * *

Two days. There was a mere two days before the wedding would occur. It was amazing how fast the Fujiwara family could send out invitations and have an extravagant wedding set up within only a week's time. The Munakata family had no objections in letting Fujiwara Suguru handle all of the planning. Secretly, the owner of Fujiwara Enterprises had already set up most of the wedding plans a month ahead of time. But only he and a few of his close attendants knew of this matter.

The wedding was set up to be traditional Japanese style. Much to Misaki's dismay, he was set to be the bride and wear an altered version of the traditional woman's kimono for the wedding. The kimono itself was breathtakingly beautiful, as the first layer was pearly white in color, with intricate threaded details of flowers sewn throughout. The layer above was a vibrant red color. It was also impressively well designed, as golden phoenixes seemed to be dancing across the silken fabric. White and gold feathers intertwined with pink and red flowers stitched around the sleeves and hemline.

"It looks absolutely wonderful on you, young master," one of Misaki's personal attendants said as he finished tying the sash around the boy's waist.

As the amber-eyed boy stared off into the mirror, he could not see anyone but a stranger reflecting at him. Two more day. The boy only had two more days to escape this. But the kimono was like a cage trapping and preventing him from fleeing.

The boy could only imagine a clock counting down to his sorrowful fate.

* * *

It had taken him almost two days to crack into the network system, but persistent as he was, the blue-haired boy managed to gain access to the database. As Fushimi stared at the screen in front of him, his eyes opened in shock. After analyzing all of the business and financial data of Fujiwara Enterprises, he couldn't believe how the company managed to hide such a deficit for as long as they had. Not only that, it appeared that there were some shady business deals happening under the table as well.

There was no way that this kind of sneaky business practice could have been done without the head of the company knowing. Fujiwara Suguru was suspicious. As he looked throughout Fujiwara Enterprises' network, he came across a particular server that was different from the rest.

With a click of a few buttons and his usual keyboard magic, Saruhiko was able to bypass the security systems and access the data on file. The Blue clansman realized that he had gained access to Fujiwara Suguru's personal server. As he scanned through the various folders, he noticed a particular name that had caught his interest.

"Yata Misaki - CONFIDENTIAL," the blue-eyed boy read aloud as he clicked the folder open.

Saruhiko could feel his body become sweaty and hot. The blood was surging within him so fast that he swore he could hear it ringing in his ears. Within the folder were dozens of pages containing background information about the little crow. Even things such as his personality traits, how he goes about his days, and personal connections were included. There were pages and pages of data also about every single acquaintance he had.

Now, there was no denying that Saruhiko too would access Misaki's data. When it came to the amber-eyed boy, he thought there was no other person who knew him better—including Misaki himself. But the information here went beyond the chestnut-haired boy, and it covered the details of his close friends, including information about the Red and Blue clans.

As he moved to the next group of pages, he found a large list of names under the title, "Potential Marriage Candidates." As he scrolled down, he saw a picture of his superior, Munakata Reisi. His name had been circled and marked differently than the rest.

"So this is how they decided to whom they would marry Misaki off too…" the Blue mumbled to himself.

As he scanned his screen, he noticed a strange red flag at the bottom right corner. When he clicked on it, a message popped up asking for a password. Working his magic once again, Saruhiko ran a password decoder through the system until he finally was granted access.

Suddenly, a flood of red text and highlights appeared on every one of the documents Saruhiko had browsed earlier. In front of the blue-haired boy were a plethora of notes highlighting the pros and cons of every marriage candidate. Going back to the file with Munakata, he saw a long list of pros including his wealthy status, elite family history, and whom he had political influence over. It also included a thorough list of the Munakata relationships with families, businesses, and any other important connections they had.

Going back to the main files detailing Yata's life was a timeline of events that began with the discovery of the existence of Misaki. Saruhiko bit his lip as he saw the comment, "Yata Misaki – Signed adoption forms today." It was the same date that he and the crow had argued. The same day that Misaki told Fushimi that he was no longer going to appear in front of him again. Saruhiko cursed his foolishness. "I may have been the reason why he went to that old man in the first place," he thought in frustration.

The following dates appeared to finalize wedding plans, which was peculiar to the Blue since the choosing of the fiancée was not decided until days after. Why were all the wedding plans finalized only one day after Fujiwara took in Misaki?

Saruhiko felt more confused than when he started. Then, he noted something strange after the choosing of Reisi as his marriage partner. "Yata Misaki – Did not comply with engagement. Problem resolved—See Yata Misaki – Acquaintances folder notes."

As the Blue clansman clicked back to the other folder, he began to feel hatred surging through his veins. With every person's file, there were extensive notes detailing potential methods of how to "dispose" of them. It included the involvement of other gangs, yakuza, and hired assassins if needed. Eventually, Fushimi arrived to his own file. He clenched his teeth and began to twitch as he saw the notes before him.

"Fushimi Saruhiko – Once name was mentioned, Yata Misaki complied with all demands. All problems resolved. Will continue to monitor if further intervention is needed."

Fujiwara Suguru had used his name to threaten Misaki. Whatever he had said to the boy, it scared him enough to surrender to the sick bastard. He could no longer wait to take action. Going back to the timeline, he saw the final note stating, "Yata Misaki – Marriage ceremony today at Inari Shrine – Shizume City 15:00."

Fushimi glanced at the time. It was one o'clock. He only had two hours left to save the boy he loved.

* * *

He could see the light at the end of the tunnel. There was only an hour left before Reisi and Misaki would get married. His plan was set—well, at least the first part of it. The man realized his entire plot wasn't completely finished.

After using his influence to gain new funders and business partners to pull the company out of deficit, he would eventually need to find a way to dispose of Munakata Reisi in order to gain access to his entire family's fortune. But since his occupation revolved around catching criminals, Fujiwara figured it shouldn't be a problem if he were to mysteriously be "killed in action" while doing his duties. "Heartbreak! Disaster! A real shame it would be," the brown-eyed man thought with a laugh.

As long as he held firm control over Misaki, he could take all the time that he needed. The man took a final puff from his pipe and got up from his office chair. The stage has been set. The actors ready to begin their role.

"Let us begin the wedding of the century, shall we?"

* * *

The ceremony took place at a Shinto temple within the outskirts of Shizume City. Many couples who desired to have a traditional wedding dreamed of having it at such a shrine. It was a sea of botanical beauty, surrounded by flowers and trees of all kinds. It was also a serene place, as it was far away from the loud noises of traffic, business, and crowds of people. As the clock struck right at 3 o'clock, the couple was ready to begin the procession.

Munakata and Yata stood side-by-side each other. As they heard the pan flutes begin to play, the two walked together slowly across the wooden bridge over the calm lake beneath them. The scenery would have been spectacular and perfect in any other situation—but this event had sucked the splendor from it all. The two walked up the stairs and onto the red carpet as the drums began to sound. The procession band finally had approached the shrine.

Once they arrived to the altar, Misaki felt his chest get tight. Even though Fujiwara made the boy rehearse the ceremony over and over again, the boy still could not get used to it. The wedding was a sham, and there was no meaning behind it. Only greed and desire supported this, and it hurt the crow deep inside his heart.

The two were approached by one of the shrine's maidens, and she bowed in front of them. After Reisi and Misaki bowed to her, she began to pour the ceremonial sake into the crimson-colored cup in front of them.

As Munakata took the sake cup into his hands, he looked at the boy beside him. He saw the boy tremble with a melancholic expression he could no longer hide. He quietly whispered to the amber-eyed boy beside him, "Yata-kun, don't feel pressured into doing this if you do not want to."

But the boy knew he had no choice. He would have to do it, or people that he cared about would suffer because of him. He knew Reisi wasn't a bad person either. It was just really hard to accept that he would have to marry someone that he didn't love romantically though. It was a fate too cruel for him to accept, but he had to comply. He was trapped.

As Misaki held the sake cup within his quivering hands, he desperately tried to suppress the tears from flowing. He had no hope. A single tear fell from his eyes and dropped into the cup before he lifted it into the air, ready to take his first sip.

Suddenly, there was a loud explosion as the wall near the altar blasted open. There was a thick cloud of smoke that blinded all those sitting within the area.

"What the hell is going on?" Suguru shouted.

As the hazy fog began to clear, a shadowy figure made a jump towards the amber-eyed boy standing at the altar. A pair of black and grey boots appeared first out of the dust as they lowered to the floor. The figure's dark blue coat tail revealed itself next as it fluttered down against gravity. As he landed on the ground in front of the chestnut-haired beauty standing in front of him, their eyes met each other.

"…Saru!?" Misaki gasped.

Without uttering a word, Saruhiko scooped up his beloved and began to charge towards the exit.

"Saru!? Wha-what are you doing!?" The crow was so confused and shocked that he couldn't understand the situation at all. The only he thing he knew was that he was being held by the man who he had once told that he'll never see again.

As the he ran past the wedding guests, who were still stunned by the event, Saruhiko looked at the boy in his arms and said, "I came to rescue you, my dearest."

Munakata smiled as he saw the Fushimi standing in front of him with Yata in his arms. He was grateful that his third-in-command came to his senses and did the one thing he could not do with his own love—save him. Saruhiko gave a quick glance and nod at his commanding officer before he dashed out the door.

After he came back to his senses, Fujiwara stood up in rage as he saw Misaki and Fushimi disappear from sight. This was unacceptable. His victory was too close now to just disappear because some punk kid decided to drop in and try to steal it from him.

He would get back everything that belonged to him—his money and power, no matter what he had to do. He would obtain it even if he had to leave the entire world in shambles.

* * *

"Where do you two think you are going?" a malicious voice called out the two. "Don't think you'll be able to get away like this. Be a good boy Misaki-kun, and come back here to me. You know what will happen if you disobey me, don't you?"

As he felt the little crow begin to shiver in his arms, the Blue clansman began to glower at Fujiwara. "Shut up, you shitty old man. He's not going anywhere with you."

"Oh? And you think a little brat such as yourself can do anything against me, Fujiwara Suguru? You are delusional. I can squash you like the little pest you are."

As brown-eyed man came closer toward the Blue officer, he revealed a pistol from inside his clothing. "I can and will destroy you and everything that you care about. No one would even be able to touch me. I am a god amongst you filthy, lowly mortals."

The words coming from the elderly man's mouth made him burn in anger. Still remaining cool and composed outwardly, Saruhiko gently placed Misaki's feet to the ground.

"Saru?"

The blue-eyed boy gently smiled and stared into his beloved's eyes. "Just wait a few minutes, Misaki."

As he turned toward Fujiwara, his eyes instantly narrowed and were full of hostility and hatred. Without a pause, he unsheathed his sword and lunged at the man.

He caught Suguru in a moment of surprise. "Wha…what!?"

As the man tried to cock the gun and aim the pistol, Saruhiko instantly sliced the weapon in half. The brown-eyed man gasped out in surprise as the Blue narrowed the distance between the two. Without giving a second to let the man collect his thoughts, the Scepter 4 officer lifted his hand into the air.

As Fushimi smashed his fist against the elderly man's wrinkled face, he saw the dark red blood begin to flow from his nose. As the man below him began to groan in pain, the blue-haired boy grabbed Suguru by the collar and slammed what appeared to be a memory stick into the man's mouth.

"Before you think you can pull something as fucked up like that again, you better investigate your enemy better," Saruhiko growled. "Inside that drive is a copy of all your company's financial records that you've been hiding from the public, your shareholders, and funders for so long. I just so happened to run into all your planning to set up a sham marriage for your own personal greed as well. You should know better than to save that kind of stuff on your personal computer, you pathetic, miserable bastard."

The grey-haired man spit the drive out of his mouth and took a moment to let the moment of shock settle. The man began to laugh out in pure insanity, replying to the Blue clansman in front of him. "You think you can take me, the owner of Fujiwara Enterprises, down just from a few tidbits of data here and there? You are greatly mistaken, you brat. After I torture and kill Misaki-kun in front of you, I'll finish you off personally myself!"

"Now, now. You shouldn't be threatening those belonging to the enforcement department, Fujiwara-san. That is a punishable offense, you know," a voice said behind the two.

There stood the Blue King with the other Scepter 4 members behind him. With a gentle smile—always calm and collected, Munakata said, "You have just given us reasonable cause to get a warrant to freely investigate into this matter. Fushimi-kun, will you please do the honors."

The third-in-command looked at his captain with widened eyes. He then smiled in Reisi's direction before standing up and looking down at the wretched creature before him. "Fujiwara Suguru, you are now under arrest for threatening a Scepter 4 officer, plotting murder, and being just a plain old douchebag."

As two of his subordinates cuffed Fujiwara and took him away, Saruhiko quickly ran over to the chestnut-haired boy. Misaki instantly began to blush as his mouth quivered in attempt to get the words out. "Ummm…Saru…I…mmmmm!"

The blue-eyed boy grabbed Yata's face with both hands and planted a firm kiss on his lips. As Misaki stood there, dazed and confused, Fushimi grinned and wrapped his arms around the crow. "Forget about it right now, idiot. We have plenty of time to talk about it later."

Misaki's face grew red hot—matching the silk of his kimono perfectly in color. "Ummm…yeah." He gave a little smile back to the boy embracing him.

"But you know Misaki…"

"What is it, Saru?"

"Since you're already dressed and all, we might as well get married!"

"Wha-wha-whaaaat?" Yata pushed himself out of Fushimi's arms. "Uhhh, ummm, I…"

Before Yata could finish, he saw Munakata in the corner of his eye, along with the rest of the Scepter 4 members. Instantly annoyed—as this was probably his most embarrassing moment ever in his life, he began to shout, "What the hell are you going on about? Don't kid with me, YOU SHITTY MONKEY!"

"Misaki, stop being such a _tsundere_ and just accept it!"

"WHO THE HELL IS A _TSUNDERE_? I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!"

The fighting duo may have just as well have been in their own little world. No one could deny their love for each other. Munakata stood and watched the two bicker while smiling. He may not be Yata's husband, but he would still keep his word to Suoh and watch over the little crow. Although the Blue King was unable to express his love for the Red King himself, he was glad to see that others were able to consummate their love and avoid following the same path that he did.

* * *

"…Captain. We've been talking for three hours straight now. Can we please leave already?" Fushimi scowled at his commanding officer.

After they arrived back at Scepter 4, Munakata—a man who lives by the motto of having 'every set of eyes and ears' on matters, wanted to know all the details from both Yata and Fushimi. Hearing the plot unravel from the beginning to end and seeing the data files that Saruhiko extracted, Reisi saw the puzzle pieces begin to fit together in his mind. Though he was a little disappointed that he did not personally resolve the matter himself, the Blue King was glad that everything had worked out in the end.

"Alright, you two may go. But I want you to submit to me a thorough report by the end of the week, Fushimi-kun."

"Yes, sir."

After leaving the office, Misaki began to stretch and relax, as he was free from the confines of that embarrassing outfit he was wearing only a few hours ago. Thinking about everything that had happened, he realized that the Blue King—though strange at times, wasn't a bad person.

"Hey, Saru. You know what? The Blue King is kind of a cool and reliable kind of guy."

"WHAT? WHAT ABOUT HIM IS COOLER AND MORE RELIABLE THAN ME?"

"_Haaaaa_? Since when did I say that, you idiot!?"

"I don't want you talking about anyone else besides me, Misaki."

"WHAT KIND OF STUPID, UNREASONABLE REQUEST IS THAT?"

"It's not a request, it's a command."

"…Saru…Don't make me kick the living sh—"

Misaki's words were cut off again as Saruhiko covered his mouth with a kiss. The two stood there in silence, with only the sounds of their tongues and lips intertwining together. After breaking from the kiss, the two wrapped their arms around each other. Fushimi smiled as he kissed the smaller boy on the forehead.

"Misaki?"

"What is it Saru?"

"What are you going to do now that your last name is Fujiwara?"

"I'm going to sever ties with that bastard and change my name back of course."

With a sly grin, Saruhiko replied, "You know, you could always just change your last name to Fushimi."

"Wouldn't that mean we'd have to get married?" Yata blushed at the thought. "That would take a while doing all that shit again."

Fushimi pushed up his glasses, with a glimmer of light reflecting off of them. With a serious expression he replied, "don't worry about it. I had already signed both of our names and sent the document to be processed."

"Wait…Wha-WHAT?"

"Do you care to get started with our honeymoon now, my wife?"

Like a tea kettle filled with boiling water, Misaki's head began radiating steam as he yelled, "…You…YOU IDIOT!"

**END**


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